Suction cleaner



E L L E M s G D SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fionald 6T. Smellie ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fionalda'mellz'e I 52: z i 5 ATTORNEY g- 1942. D. G. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 5', 1940 Patented Aug. 4, 1942 SUCTION CLEAN EB.

' Donald G. Smellle, Canton, Ohio, assignor The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 5, 1940, Serial No. 343,997

Claims. (Cl. 183-51) This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to. an im: proved arrangement for disposing of the dirt discharged into the filter or dirt bag and including a muflier betweenthe exhaust outlet and the filter bag and a removable dirt-collecting receptacle communicating with the lower end of the filter ba In order to define the scope of the present improvement, it may be stated that the general arrangement of the muiiler and filter bag mounting has been disclosed in an earlier application, filed on July 3, 1939' and bearing Serial' No. 282,617, and therefore the object of the present invention is to improve upon the earlier arrangement by including a removable dirt-collecting'receptacle communicating with the lower end of the filter bag and into which the heavier particles of dirt will find their way by gravity, thence to be readily disposed of from time-to time by the removal and emptying of the receptacle without the accompanying removal of the filter bag, or at least, not with the same frequency. However, it is contemplated that the filter'bag will in time become filled with the lighter and fiufller litter removed from the carpet surface and therefore be disposed of by the detachment and emptying of the filter bag or, in case the bag be made of paper, disposal of the bag and its contents and replacement by a new bag.

With the foregoing introduction to the subject matter of the present disclosure, a preferred arrangement therefor has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a'general view in side elevation of a typical suction cleaner with a portion of the end to which a filter bag '4 is attached. In this muiller and filter bag assembly, but as will presently be pointed out, this outer envelope is essentially for appearance purposes and therefore can be eliminated if desired.

A handle 8 completes the cleaner assembly, the same having pivotal connection near the rear end of the casing I, and extends in a general upward and rearward direction. And finally, the handle 8 supports the filter bag 4 and envelope 1 by means of an extensible connecting member 9 deand filter bag mounting, the exhaust outlet conpending from a point near the upper portion of the handle and detachably secured to the outer end of the filter bag envelope.

Now, referring in greater detail to the muiiler nection 3 from the fan chamber is preferably extended a short distance beyond the rear end of the casing proper and terminates in a fiat seat tilted upwardly so that itlies in a plane slightly oblique to the vertical at an angle of approximately .30 degrees and carries the inner end of the envelope 1 and the flexible muiller connection a. I

outer envelope, normally concealing-the muiller and filter bag assembly, removed;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view 01- the mufller and filter bag assembly with portions thereof shown in section;-

Figure 3 is a view in' cross section taken,

through the muiiler and dirt collecting receptacle, on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

t FIigure is a perspective view of the dirt recepac e.

In its general design and arrangement the suction cleaner herein disclosed is typical of any' standard make, consisting of the usual wheeled body or casing I having a suction nozzle 2 extending across its forward end with its mouth in close proximity to the carpet surface, and a motor-driven suction fan housed within a fan chamber communicating with the nozzle and having-an exhaust outlet connection 3 at its rear Thus, seating on the face of the outlet connection 3 is a bag and muiller supporting fitting ill having the form of a ring or collar with a flanged opening .lli'a surrounding the exhaust outlet passage from the fan chamber. Clamped in the opening in the fitting I0 is one end of a flexible bellows member i I consisting of a short tube of fiexible material such as sheet rubber contracted longitudinally into. a series of corrugations. The

.40 outer end of the bellows member is suitably fastened to a rigid collar I! supported on the fitting I 0 independently of the bellows member by means of an arm it having hinged mountingat II immediately above the base of the bellows member and on a flange lilb extending around the edge of the collar iii. A- counterbalancing spring Ila at all times exerts a lifting force upon the arm l3 which tends to counterbalancethe combined downward thereon.

This hinged and flexibly mounted collar "I! also supports the base of the muilier l, consisting preferably, of alight metal tubular shell Ia lined with a relatively thick layer of soundabsorbing material 5b, such as sponge rubber.

" pivoting forces acting i mumer anda suitable clamp provided. However, in the present arrangement a special collarlike fitting I is used for attaching the filter bag to the muilier and at the same time providing a discharge opening from the lower end of the filter bag into a dirt receptacle i8 having the form of a semi-circular cannister lying beneath and surrounding the under half of the tubular muflier.

But'referring first to the bag and receptacle supporting fitting ii, the same consists generally of a ring somewhat elliptical in shape (see Figure 3) and having a centrally and symmetrically located circular opening l5a flanged. to receive the outer end portion of the muflier and suitably secured thereto. And immediately surrounding the lower half of the circular opening I511 but separated therefrom is a larger semicircular opening i5b of crescent shape forming the port leading into the removable dirt-collecting receptacle, which is preferably drawn or stamped of a light metal to a cross section conforming to that of the port I51) and entirely open at one end.

The port iSb is marked around its under side by a groove in which is inserted a rubber gasket l1 forming an airtight seat for the open end of the dirt-collecting receptacle. Thus, the outer end of the muiller is offset somewhat above the port i5b leading into the dirt-collecting recep tacle l6 so that the dirt, particles discharged into the filter bag will gradually work downwardly along the lower side of" said bag and eventually find their way into the dirt receptacle.

The opening at the lower end of the dirt bag 4 is relatively larger than usual having a di-. ameter sufdcient to include the collar l5. In fact, the lower edges'oi the bag fit over the collar and edgewise into an annular slot formed between the outer edge of the fitting it and a clamping collar 18 capable of contraction by prising a hollow muiiler body,-a dirt receptacle the manipulation of a lever I841 to secure the bag firmly in place.

Similarly, the dirt-collectingreceptacle i6 is provided with suitable attaching means to hold it into position beneath the muilier, namely, a pivoted latch member is mounted on the underside of the hinged collar ll of the bellows mounting and so located as to be readily accessible for the removal of the dirt receptacle for emptying purposes.

And in this connection, it may be noted that the outer envelope I provides a complete enclosure for the muiller and filter bag assembly in that its lower end is clamped around the fianged marginal portion of the muiller supporting fitting id and further, that the complete assembly is removable from the cleaner as a unit by loosening the attaching bolts 20, 20 on either side of the exhaust outlet connection. And finally, the outer envelope I has a zipper-fastened opening 1a extending lengthwise along its underside, so that the muifler, bag and dirt-collecting receptacle are readily accessible for emptying or replacement.

Bearing in mind that the emptying of the filter bag is usually an arduous task for th operator, any arrangement which reduces the frequency of these emptying operations is a meritorious improvement. But to remove and empty an open rigid receptacle filled mostly with more or less solid dirt is not so distasteful because the dirt is in a compact form-and can be emptied without shaking or otherwise causing dust to rise. At the same time, the lighter and fiuflier types of litter which are not capable of finding their way by gravity into the removable receptacle remain in the filter bag and eventually have to be disposed of. But with the heavier dirt particles in the form of sand, grit, and the like being collected by gravity in the receptacle and emptied at frequent intervals greatly facilitates the problem of dirt disposal aside from relieving the bag .ofthe strain resulting from the heavier dirt accumulating in the lower end of the filter bag, a condition that might readily cause the bag to weaken, particularly if made of paper or other material not having the requisite tensile strength to carry the heavy dirt. Noris the advantageous use of the dirt receptacle offset by thefact that it occupies space and additional equipment is required for its mounting, since it is quite possible to fashion the receptacle and its fittings of a very light metal so that the actual increase in weight would be quite negligible.

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of ceptacle detachably positioned adjacent saidmufiler, movable therewith and connected to the said aperture in said collar, and a dirt-filtering bag detachably seated on said collar enclosing the open end of said muffler and. said aperture and movable with said mufller about its pivotal mount- 2. A suctioncleaner bag and muiller unit comdetachably carried by said body and having an opening adjacent an open end of said mullier, an

' attachment fitting adapted to be secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, means pivotally mounting and interiorly connecting said muiller to said fitting, bag-attaching means at the adjacent open ends of said muiller and said receptacle, and a filter bag secured to said hasattachlng means and open to said muffler and said receptacle.

3. A suction cleaner bag and muflier unit com- I prising a hollow mufller body, a dirt receptacle detachably carried by said body and having an opening adjacent an open end of said muiiler, an attachment fitting adapted to be secured to the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, means pivotally mounting and interlorly connecting said muiiler to said fitting, bag-attaching means at the adjacent open ends of said muffler and said receptacle, a filter bag secured to said bagattaching means and open to said muffler and said receptacle, and an appearance bag seated on said attachment fitting enclosing said'muiller and said filter bag and provided with zipper closuremeansalongltssidetopermittheremoval of said receptacle or said filter bag from said muliler.

4. A suction cleaner bag and muilier unit comprking an attachment fitting adapted to seat upon the exhaust outlet of a suction cleaner, a muiiier .pivotally connected on said fitting by means including a flexible conduit, a dirt receptacie carried by saidmuiiie'r, spring means to counterbalance the weight of said mumer and receptacle, and a filter bag removably connected to said mufiier and said receptacle.- 1

5. Asuctioncleanerbagandmuiiierunitcomprising an apertured attachment fitting adapted toseatupon-theexhaustoutletorasuction cleaner, a muflier pivotally mounted upon said stung, s flexible bellows mummy connecting said mumer'l and the aperture -in said fitting, a

baE-seating'member at the outer end of said muflier, bag-"clamping means carried by said member operable on the underside thereof, a receptacle removably secured adjacent said muiller and exteriorly open through said bagseating membena filter bag seated on said bag-' memberflland an appearance bag seated on said attachment fitting enclosing said mumer,

receptacle and filter bag and formed with a zipperedopening'alongits underside to provide admission to'said receptacle and said has-clamping means;

DONALD G. 

